Happy Birthday
by pinkwasteland
Summary: Bestboy's 18th birthday isn't what he expected. Nothing but Fluff. BBrae mini fic. Image not mine- belongs to the amazing & talented Gretel Lusky (gretlusky on tumblr and deviant art)


**Meant to be a teeny tiny drabble but ended up a bit longer than expected. It's been forever since I wrote this ship so forgive me. Check out my other stuff I swear I haven't abandoned it, writers block is just a bitch, okay?**

 **You guys are the best, Enjoy!**

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"So, you're finally eighteen."

"Yeah, finally! It sucks being the youngest. I guess we can't really call ourselves the Teen Titans anymore, 'cuz we're all adults now." Beastboy chucked to himself.

Raven refrained from rolling her eyes, but just barely. "I wouldn't exactly call us adults yet. But I guess being legally an adult has its benefits. You can vote now."

She watched Beastboy turn his head to throw her an accusing look. "Oh yeah Rae, that's what I've been looking forward to for eighteen years. Fucking voting rights."

He had taken to swearing as of late, only a few four letter words sprinkled here and there, when the mood struck him. But he wasn't dumb enough to let the words slip around Robin. He knew from an unfortunate experience what his straight- laced leader would do of he caught a Titan member using profanity. Beastboy would be subjected to an furious lecture about 'setting an example' and being a 'cornerstone in the community', and he was better off avoiding that all together.

"Well what were you looking forward to then? It's not like we can do much, being Titans and all. And don't you dare say a strip club."

He laughed a bit at Raven's expense before answering. "Please, thanks to our job and the sleezeballs that live in this city I've seen enough of that kind of nightlife. Plus why would I want to go bump shoulders with a bunch of sticky, lonely men. There's this thing called porn rae, much easier."

Raven faked a gagging noise. "I could have died happy never hearing that."

The changing laughed again, this time gripping the edge of the roof and swinging his feet up in the air. "But seriously, I don't know what I was expecting. I just always envisioned eighteen as being something special. Like a right of passage or whatever. Aren't I supposed to be getting drunk in the woods or some park right now? Buying lottery tickets or even a cigar that I'll definitely puke up and throw away after one puff?" He sighed. "I feel like nothing's changed."

She snorted, "Welcome to adulthood my friend. Disappointing, isn't it?"

He chucked dryly "Yeah, I guess. But I feel like were always doing the boring part of being adults, ya know? I just thought that maybe once I turned eighteen, I could enjoy the fun parts too."

The sadness wasn't on his face, but Raven could feel it in the air, it rolled off him like rain in a downpour.

"I bought a dirty magazine when I turned eighteen." She wasn't sure why she had blurt this out to him, it was embarrassing. But she wanted to replace his sadness with something else, even if it made him laugh at her a bit, it was worth it to see that goofy smile of his again.

His eyes went wide, "You- No way! What for? Just because you could? Raven I knew you liked to read and all but I didn't know you were into that kinda stuff! How was it?"

"I'm not into it!" She defended herself, but the look on his face said he didn't believe her. "I just wanted to do something I'd never done before. It's like you said, I bought it because I could."

"Soooo~ How was it?"

Now it was her turn to look shocked.

"Aw, come on Rae. You can tell me."

She ignored him.

"I bet you still have it tucked under your bed."

Raven turned to punch him, but he grabbed her fist before she could, laughing at her indignant attitude.

"For you information," she informed him "I only skimmed it and threw it away before I even got back to Titans tower."

"Couldn't risk bird boy finding it, huh?"

"Or Starfire, I'm not sure who would have been worse."

He laughed, "Probably Star. At least Rob would have been too embarrassed to confront you about it."

"Oh Azar, could you imagine?" She shuddered.

"Yes, actually I can. And it's horrific." Beastboy turned back to the fading sunset they had been watching. "How'd you even get that without getting spotted?"

"Holo Ring."

"Cyborg didn't notice?"

She shrugged. "If he did, he didn't say anything. I assume he probably did something similar when he turned eighteen."

"Wow, I never even thought about the holo ring. Cyborg always yells about how they're not for personal use and whatever. That's genius Rae, I didn't know you had it in you to break the rules."

The corner of her mouth turned upward, "There's plenty you don't know about me Beastboy."

He turned back toward her, a playful smile dancing on his lips. She felt the mischievous rush that often emitted from Beastboy, mixed with something else she could quite put her finger on.

He hummed in agreement, "Yeah, you're right."

This conversation seemed to have taken a turn, and Raven was unsure just when that had happened. Being an empath, she was a master of reading people and situations, so this awkward moment hung in the air untouched by her, simply because she didn't quite know what to do with it.

"Well, should we do it?"

Her jaw fell open, and she stuttered over her words before she could force her brain to string a thought together. "W-What?

"The holo rings. Should we take them? We don't need to go get dirty magazines or anything, to be honest I'd love just a night off."

Raven's mind seemed to be catching up slowly. Maybe she had just read the conversation wrong, but since when has that ever happened? She'd never felt something that wasn't there, and just now it felt like there was something there, just behind beastboy's cool demeanor.

"Yeah, that sounds fun actually. We'll just have to be careful when were out not to draw too much attention. Even disgusted, we stick out a bit."

"Because we're so enchanting and beautiful?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her teasingly.

"More like because we're teenaged recluses who only interact with other jaded heroes."

He laughed, "Hey I wouldn't call you jaded. At least, not to your face."

She threw another playful punch at him, which he caught again but this time didn't let go, and instead held on to her fist, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

And suddenly, it was all too much. The way he was looking at her was too intense, the fingers touching her skin was too overwhelming, his heartbeat pounding in his ribs was too loud. She didn't like whatever this was, it made her feel unsure, nervous. Raven liked being in control, and right now it felt as if she had relinquished it to whatever that feeling was that was flowing from him and flooding her mind.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't skip a beat. "What's it look like I'm doing Rae, I'm holding your hand."

"Why?"

"Because I thought it would be nice. And it is." He paused, cocking his head to the side, "Do you hate it?"

She considered this for a moment, glancing down at his clawed fingers around her balled up fist. She was a bit alarmed and taken aback, but no, she didn't hate it.

"No, it's not that terrible."

He snorted "I guess that's the best answer I could hope for, really."

The was an uncomfortable silence between them before Raven could no longer ignore the tense feeling in her stomach. "Should we go? Cyborg is probably distracted and busy in the garage right now."

One last rub before he released her hand. He gave her his best grin, "Yeah, let's do this thing!"

She got up, careful not to accidentally brush against him as she rose to her feet.

"Hey Rae?"

Her hand was on the door handle, she had paused before he had even spoke, sensing he wanted to ask her something. Now she turned to face him.

"Yeah?"

He looked a little sheepish, but another part of him, a bigger part of him pushed that emotion aside and went on, determined, "Is it okay, if I hold you hand while we're out?"He rushed on, "No one will even know its us! And it would probably make us blend in more, right?"

She knew his excuses were just fluff, and she ignored them.

"Yeah, I think that'd be okay."

And later on; after they had scratched off every single losing lottery ticket they had bought and eaten far to much late night diner pizza; when he did eventually bump her shoulder and take her hand, she squeezed back and leaned toward him to whisper in his ear, "Happy birthday Beastboy."


End file.
